Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb and were just kids when they met. Their love for the George Lucas/Steven Spielberg film Raiders of the Lost Ark inspired them to remake the blockbuster classic with home cameras.
The result: Raiders of The Lost Ark: The Adaptation. It’s a remake of the original shot-for-shot which premiered in 2003 and has now been screened in movie houses across the country.
Chris Strompolos, who played Indiana Jones and was also the film’s producer, is now 38 years old and a producer for Rolling Boulder Films in Los Angeles. He maintained constant involvement in the film’s development and even received his first kiss from the adaptation’s heroine Angela Rodriguez during the course of filming. He spoke with us about how the movie came to be and his eventual run-in with Steven Spielberg himself.
How did you, Eric and Jayson meet?
We went to school together. Eric and I rode the school bus together for an hour each way.
How old were you when you started working on the film?
I was 10, Eric was 11, and Jason was 12.
Once he saw the Raiders comic book, Chris says he was immediately inspired to remake the movie. He gave the book to Eric, who spoke with Jayson, and the movie-making team was born.
Were you nervous when you got into it?
Excited kids don’t necessarily know what they can’t do. When we [Chris and Eric] set our mind on something, there is just no stopping us.
How many people were involved in making the film?
Probably about 100 people were involved over the course of seven years.
How were you able to get other people involved?
It was a combination of Eric’s energy and my energy.
Chris says his outgoing personality was instrumental in recruiting participants and keeping them excited. Eric was more organized and kept all the information necessary to contact volunteers to act in the film every summer. The cast consisted of about 10 people on a constant basis with the rotating cast of actors and extras over the seven-year-period adding up to 100 people being involved in the adaptation.
How much did the film cost?
We never really kept track of money. Eric and I asked for things, traded things, dug through the trash. We have estimated that it cost around $5,000.
Chris says that while the boys’ families could only offer emotional support, the boys would ask for props from the Salvation Army for their birthdays. Once the boys got older, they worked odd jobs to keep the project going. For example, Jayson delivered pizza for an entire summer so the group could buy a new camera.
Arguments became temporary road blocks in the project. Chris and Eric fought an entire summer over a girl. Regardless of disagreements, the boys completed the project in the summer of 1989.
How were you effected by the experience?
There are a lot of things that I learned while doing it: hard work and staying focused and the power of friendship. [It was…] finding my calling when I was young. I’ve been able to process the experience a second time around as an adult. It’s brought me back to the things that I love to do.
In 2003, Steven Spielberg obtained a copy of the film. He enjoyed it so much that he wrote the filmmakers a letter. The three boys met with Spielberg where they talked about the film and movies in general. The film had its long awaited world premiere in June 2003 at The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, Texas.
What did it feel like to meet Steven Spielberg and gain his praise?
He said, “It inspired even me.” To hear that from the man himself was pretty incredible.
I read that you were putting together a documentary of the experience. What’s the progress on that project?
We have about 50 plus hours of outtakes. Jason was working on it. It is currently in the works. It’s going to be like Stand by Me meets Son of Rambo.
Additionally, Chris says Paramount is currently working on a feature film about the development of the Raiders adaption.
What do your families feel about this endeavor?
They were very proud. They are very thrilled for us.
Do you have any advice for aspiring movie-makers?
Do it because you love it. It’s a long hard road. Making movies isn’t always fun, it’s hard work.
Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation will be included in this year’s James River Film Festival. It will play at the Byrd Theater at midnight on April 18. Admission is $6. More info on our calendar.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement